Internal-combustion engine



June 2, 1925. 1,5 0,015

T. A. HUTSELL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE June 1925- 1,540,075

T. A. HUTSELL INTERNAL COMBUSTI ON ENGINE Filed Aug. 2 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Chrome Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- THOMAS A. HITTSELL, OIE SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGN OR .TO HUTS ELL COMPANY, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed August 29, 1922 3. Serial No. 659,990.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. HUTSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in Spokane County and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines which improvements are particularly ap licable for use in connection with the type 0 engine utilizing a two cycle recompression. While the invention is applicable'for use in various other modes, I shall hereinafter refer to its application to that type of engine or motor in which the axes of the working and pump cylinders form a single straight line. As illustrated the pump piston and working piston are of tandem shape and fashioned as a rigid structure with differential areas for the pistons. The cylinders are arranged in parallel pairs with a tubular connection between the hollow working cylinders of each pair whereby one cylinder and piston form an annular pump chamber for receiving a fuel charge and compressing said charge and forcing it through-a working piston to an adjacent working cylinder for recompression and ignition. It is essential for-the greatest efficiency of the engine that the sliding contact between the several pistonsand cylinder walls shall be close and uniform to prevent leakage or waste of gas and secure the required high compression of the fuel charge.

These essential conditions and other desirable features are attained by me through novel combinations and arrangements of the packing or' piston rings whereby the different chambers of the cylinders are effectually sealed one from another, a comparatively long bearing is provided for the pistons to stabilize their movements and prevent Wabbling, as well as to increase the durability of the pistons and cylinder walls.

These novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which constitute my invention will be more fully described and claimed hereinafter. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one completeexample ot the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to one mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view show- MOTO'R ing an engine section including two parallel pairs of cylinders in section and disclosing also the interior and exterior construction of thetandem pistons.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken transversely of the engine or motor, showing the relative arrangement ofthe fuel intake port and the exhaust port for gases of combustion.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combined pump and working piston.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View through a portion of a wall of one of the pump pistons as at line 44 of Figure 3-.

The two tandem pistons comprise rigid structures with axially alined pump and working pistons 1 2, and 3 4, the pump and working istons being of differential diameter, and 0th pistons being hollow in construction. The pistons are adapted to reciprocate in the complementary pump and.

working cylinders 5, 6 and 7, 8 which form an engine section, and it will be understood that additional sections are contemplated for four, six, or eight cylinder engines.

The upper working cylinders are of less diameter than the lower pump cylinders, and at their lower ends the working cylinders are provided with annular flanges 0r extensions 9 which project into the pump cylinders, and together with the working pistons form annular pump chambers 10, which chamber varies in area as the engine is operating. The upper end of the annular pump chamber is closed by an annular flange 11 and the lower end of the chamber is closed by the transverse partition 10 in the pump piston located approximately midway of the hollow therein.

The working piston isintegral with the head 10 of the pump'piston to close its lower end, and the upper end of the working piston is closed as indicated.

piston and forming a head The heads 12 of the working cylinders are fashioned to conform to the working pisutilized forignition of the charge in the working cylinders. The fuel charge is introduced to each pump piston from the manifold 14 through the intake port 15, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2 where the charge enters the annular pump chamber above the pump piston to be compressed thereby. Gases of combustion are forced from each working piston as indicated in Figure 2 through the exhaust or outlet port 16 and disposed of through the exhaust manifold 17, it being apparent from an inspection of said figure that the fresh fuel charge may enter the pump cylinder while the exhaust or spent gas is being discharged from the working cylinder.

Between each pair of adjoining parallel working cylinders is located a by-pass 18 which may be an integral casting with the cylinders or an attachment in some instances, having ports 19 and 20 opening into the respective working cylinders. This bypass is designed to convey a compressed fuel charge from the interior of a working piston to the interior of an adjoining working cylinder in which cylinder the charge is compressed and ignited. For this purpose the working pistons are each fashioned with elongated ports or slots 22 in their walls between the annular pump chamber 10. and the interior of the working piston. The movement of the fuel charge is indicated by arrows in Figure 1 where the pump piston 3 has compressed the fuel charge in the annular pump space and the charge is being forced through the elongated ports to the interior of the working piston, through the upper end of the elongated ports and the by-pass to the interior of the opposite working cylinder where'the gas is shown being deflected by the baffle wall 21 on the working piston head. It will be apparent that as the working piston 2 rises it will compress the fuel charge in the cylinder 6 and at the proper instant the compressed charge will be fired by-the spark from the plug 13.

To prevent leakage of gas and waste of p the fuel charge under compression as well as to prevent leakage of gas from the exploslon chamber durlng ignition, the packing rings 23, 24, and 25 are used on the working pistons, the latter ring being located below the first two, and all three rings being placed in the grooved piston in such posi-' tions that they at all times are in contact with the walls of the working cylinders.

These spaced packing rings, as will be evident in Figure 1 prevent the leakage of the fired charge above piston 4 from passing downward through the cylinder to the fresh charge which is being transferred through the by-pass to the cylinder 6. The engine fires upon each downward stroke of each piston 2 or 4; and 'it is essential that no gas shall leak past the three rings during compression of the fuel charge on the up-stroke of the working piston. The spaced-packing rings thus prevent leakage of the charge and insure high compression of the fuel charge preparatory to ignition of the charge.

The pump pistons are also equipped with packing rings to effectually seal the different compartments or chambers of the pump cylinders, and for this purpose I utilize the packing rings 26 and 27 with each pump piston. The lower ring 27 is disposed as usual in an exterior annular groove of the piston at a suitable intermediate point between the upper and lower ends of the hollow piston. The ring 26 is carried in an annular exterior groove 28 in the piston wall and the wall of the piston is provided with a series of ports 29 extending transversely therethrough and at the exterior of the piston opening through the groove portion 30 beneath the ring 26 in the position of Fig. 4.

On the exterior of the pump piston as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 I provide a shallow recess or pocket 31, which is located in such relation to the intake port 15 as to pass over said port as t-he'piston reciprocates and an auxiliary groove 30 is provided at the upper end of this pocket as best indicated in Figures 3 and 4.

Thus it will be apparent that when the pump piston has started on its down-stroke and the pocket 31 registers with the intake port 15 a small quantity of the fuel charge will be drawn into the pocket and pass transversely through thewall of the pump piston to the interior thereof by way of the ports 29. This introduction of gas to the interior of the pump piston and annular pump chamber 10 takes place before the entry of the fuel charge into the annular pump chamber, and consequently lessens the force or rush of the full fuel charge to the pump chamber. As a result of this feed of the fuel charge the pull on the carburetor is reduced and a more uniform movement of gas from the carburetor through the intake manifold and intake port to the pump chamber is assured. In this manner the movement of the engine is made more smooth and the feed of fuel is more continuous.

It will be noted that the height of the packing ring 26 is of less dimension than the height or width of the groove ZS-3i) and that.v therefore the ring is permitted to havea movement relative to the piston as the latter carries the ring in its reciprocations. When the pump piston is moving on the downstroke the ring is forced by friction into the upper part of thegroove and carried in that position, while on the up stroke the ring is forced by friction to the portion 30 and carried in that position.

Thus on the compression or pumping-stroke of the pump piston the ports 29 are closed by the packing ring 26 and no loss of'fuel of the lubricating oil therein and consequent improper lubrication of the pistons, and the improper lubrication results in' excessive wear on the engine. Such a condition is avoided by the arrangement of the piston rings as described.

From the above description taken in connection'with my drawings it will be apparent that I have improved the construction and operation of internal combustion engines to render them more efficient in the development of power and more economical in the use of fuel gas, and because of the utilization of the improvements of my invention the engine is rendered more durable and operates with greatly enhanced smooth While I have illustrated the invention as applied to a particular type of motor or engine it will be understood that th im- 7 proved features may be embodied in other types of internal combustion engines or motors to which these features are adapted.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination in an internal combustion engine with an axially alined pump and working cylinder having intake and exhaust ports, of complementary hollow pump and working pistons therein forming an annular pump chamber, said pump piston having elongated ports communicating with the pump chamber and means carried by the pump piston for admitting a preliminary auxiliary chamber.

2. A pump cylinderhaving an intake port, a working cylinder axially alined therewith, a pump piston and a working piston forming an annular pump chamber adapted to receive fuel gas from the intake port, said pump'piston having an exterior groove and a relatively movable packing ring carried therein, and means controlled by movement of the ring for admitting a preliminary charge of fuel gas to said chamber.

.3. The combination with a pump vcylinder having an intake port and a working cylincharge of fuel gasto the pump der, of complementary pump and workingpistons forming an annular pump chamber, said pump piston having an exterior pocket and transverse openings in its wall, said pump piston also havinganannular groove connecting said openings, and a packing ring in the groove for controlling said openings.

4. The combination with a pump piston having an annular groove and transverse openings through its walls, of a relatively movable packing ring carried in said groove whereby said openings are alternately covered and uncovered by movement of said ring. Y

5. The combination with a pump cylinder having an intake port anda pump piston forming a pump chamber,.. of a relatively movable packing ring carried by said pis- I having an intake portand a pump piston forming a pump chamber, of a relatively movable packing ring carried by-said piston, said'piston having an exterior pocket adapted to register with said port and said piston also .havingtransversely extending ports through its wall communicating with said pocket and controlled by said ring.

In testimony whereof I afi'lx my signature.

THOMAS A. HUTSELL. 

